Grips for golf shafts have traditionally been made of leather, synthetic or natural rubber materials which are formed into a tapered tube shape and fitted over or around the grip or butt end of the golf shaft. Typically, the grips are secured to the shaft by glue or tape. Golf shaft performance can be greatly impacted by altering the materials and structure thereof and significant efforts have been directed at reducing the overall weight of the shaft. These efforts have also been directed to reducing the weight of the golf shaft grip and such weight reduction efforts have traditionally focused on modifying the raw materials and manufacturing process for the grips. Practical limitations are encountered, however, when the desire to reduce the weight of the grip is combined with the need to maintain the outside grip dimensions for comfort and feel purposes. A "gripless" golf shaft system exists that eliminates the golf grip entirely, but such a gripless system has resulted in, inter alia, problems of insufficient hand-to-grip adhesion and difficulties in renewing the adhesive qualities of the grip area.